This thread shows me that ive not been paying enough attention to music over the two years or so. I have no contributions but damn thank you all for what was presented because there is a LOT of good stuff here.

Would make the shortlist. But even those were a bit disappointing. Koloss pales in comparison to I or even Obzen and L'enfant Sauvage is nowhere near as good as From Mars To Sirius or The Way Of All Flesh. There is nothing as relentless and creepy as Bleed, or as intense as Heaviest Matter of the Universe, or as catchy as Backbone. Born in Winter just about counts, because its goddamn cool, but the rest of L'enfant just isn't as interesting as Gojira's usual releases.

Heritage (Opeth) and Weightless (AAL) would probably also make the shortlist but... ehhh not massively fussed about those either.And The Hunter (was that even this year) was a definite step back for Mastodon, even though it was still pretty good.

So my nominee for Album Of The Year is probably not anything at all. This year has not been a great year for music, in my eyes.

Dinosaur Jr's I Bet On Sky... aside from being one of the two albums that came out this year that actually came out, it's a fantastic album... not to the level of face melting volume that Dinosaur Jr usually exhume... but it's more sinecere than they've ever been...

over 10 albums, 30 years and 1 reunion, the band has finally reached a place where they feel comfortable, not having to prove themselves to anyone but rather simply taking the chance for an aging J Mascis to look back with regret and introspection, with both his mellow vocals squeezing regret and nostalgia out of every word, and his blazing guitar squeezing beautiful longing in every solo... it's just a great album, not only one of their best but it's one of the few glimpses that we have of what grunge might've ultimately turned into, if it made it past the crib...

To be honest their where so many incredible albums this yearthat i really canīt name only one so here some of my favourites:Sabaton - Carolus RexWintersun - Time IThreshold March of ProgressTestament - Dark Roots of EarthSigh - In SomniphobiaNe Obliviscaris - Portal of IMnemic - Mnemesisand their are a lot more,this year was incredible regarding heavy metal.

Well my personal favorite has been Lonerism, since I enjoyed listening that one that most, not saying it's the best. But surely my favorite.

But the choice was between Lonerism, The Seer and the new Fiona Apple album.

My Top 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

Huh, there was already a thread like this?...Guess I'll just copy/paste my answer from there then:

OmniscientOstrich:There's been a lot of great albums this year, quite a few that I haven't had the chance to hear either, but here's my pick of the litter in no particular order other than alphabetical: